


you should see me in a crown

by xworldofartemisx



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Acceptance, Angst, Dark Creativity, Family Feels, Fluff, Growth, Humor, Light Side, Mild Smut, Movie Night, Reconciliation, can you tell i'm a roman stan?, can you tell i'm also a deceit stan?, dark side, starts off very serious but then slips from my angsty grip and turns into...a fluffy mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:07:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23311378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xworldofartemisx/pseuds/xworldofartemisx
Summary: ~Deceit was impeccably correct when he’d said black was Roman’s color. Paired with a satin red sash and golden embroidery and the shine of the black velvet in which Remus remade his outfit, the golden crown atop his head shone brightly, bedazzled with tiny emeralds and a large ruby glimmering in the center.~“Even that nickname is beneath me.” Roman feigned interest in his acrylics the color of fresh blood, courtesy of Deceit’s steady patient hands painting them in careful strokes, using black polish to mark a little crown on his middle fingers. “I should’ve realised sooner you all were too.”~Roman’s smirk was as smoldering as his smokey black eye shadow which blended perfectly into the red glitter on the center of his lid. “I suppose Remus isn’t the only one who enjoys two d’s at once.”~Remus screeched, “Children? What children? Where are you kids, Patton?! Where are your kids?! How are you a dad if you don’t have any kids?!”Patton paused, took a breath and the shouted. “Shit!”
Relationships: Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Roman/Deceit
Comments: 11
Kudos: 153





	you should see me in a crown

Roman rose up in a manner uncharacteristically quiet as Thomas announced the theme of the video.

The subtle pity on Patton's face made him roll his eyes as the moral Side asked. “Princey? Are you feelin’ okay? You're lacking the usual pep in your step!”

Taking in his appearance, Patton’s pity morphed into confusion, then concern, and then something darker, something akin to anger. “What are you wearing?”

Oh, but there was something darker in Roman’s eyes as well.

Deceit was impeccably correct when he’d said black was Roman’s color. Paired with a satin red sash and golden embroidery and the shine of the black velvet in which Remus remade his outfit, the golden crown atop his head shone brightly, bedazzled with tiny emeralds and a large ruby glimmering in the center.

“Oh, this old thing? Just something I threw on.” Roman shrugged it off with an elegant twist of the shoulder. “What do you think? Oh, wait. I stopped caring about that.”

“What are you on about?” Virgil growled, eyeing him suspiciously. “What are you doing, Princey?”

“Even that nickname is beneath me.” Roman feigned interest in his acrylics the color of fresh blood, courtesy of Deceit’s steady patient hands painting them in careful strokes, using black polish to mark a little crown on his middle fingers. “I should’ve realised sooner you all were too.”

“Roman?” Logan was visibly baffled. “What has gotten into you?”

Roman’s smirk was as smoldering as his smokey black eye shadow which blended perfectly into the red glitter on the center of his lid. “I suppose Remus isn’t the only one who enjoys two d’s at once.”

“Oh my gosh! Ew! Ew! Roman! Ew!” Thomas covered his ears. “Gross.”

“Don’t be a baby.” Roman scoffed. “We both know that pretty head has been full of sexual innuendos since the moment you discovered what those are.”

“Yeah, but that was Remus, not me!” Thomas exclaimed.

“There you go again.” Roman nodded knowingly, a smirk playing on his crimson lips. “Underestimating me. Remus doesn’t care much for subtle innuendos. He’s gross, harsh, direct. I much more elegant in my ways.”

“And you’re trying to prove that by quoting one of, if not the grossest thing he’s ever said?” Virgil asked, eyebrow raised.

“I’m not trying to prove anything. Not anymore.” There was that darkness again, making his bright eyes ignite with a hellish flame. “It’s been quite liberating, realising your approval means nothing.”

“Deceit has got his fangs in you, doesn’t he?” Virgil was fuming, “What did he do to you? How is he controlling you?”

Roman allowed the hurt to show. “You think I’m not capable of doing this on my own? A simple makeover?”

“We both know this is so much more than a makeover and you don’t know what you’re signing up to by siding with _him_.” The anxious Side was anything but, his expression one of pure anger and venomous hatred.

“Little ol’ me?” Deceit rose up next to Roman, elegantly as ever. “Do you really consider me such a great threat? Why, Virgil, I’m flattered.”

“Roman, he’s a liar!” Patton exclaimed. “How could you side with him? How could you betray us like this?”

“How could I?” Roman scoffed. „How could _I_? How could you?! You’ve shoved me off to the side continuously, deeming my every decision the wrong one and each of my ideas inadequate.” There was raw emotion in his voice that convinced Virgil this wasn’t Deceit speaking through his friend.

This was real.

“That’s not true!” Patton tried but he barely convinced himself, let alone everyone else.

“Screw all that!” Thomas was the one to startle everyone into silence by yelling. “Why would you do this to _me_? You abandoned me.”

“Abandoned? No, Thomas. I did this for me, yes, but I also did it for you. You can’t tell me you haven’t noticed how plain boring your ideas have been lately.”

“Well…” The awkward shrug was enough.

“You know why that happened?” Roman asked, “Hm?”

Thomas shook his head.

“Logan?” Roman’s gaze made the logical Side flinch with its burning intensity. “Do you know why Thomas lost his creativity despite me being alive and well?”

“Well, I could assu-…”

“Nah, thanks, you’ve done enough assuming for a lifetime, honey. I’ll explain. I was so horrifically depressed I felt like my brain was malfunctioning.”

“Wow, you get straight to the point.” Virgil muttered under his breath.

“I felt unappreciated, unloved, insufficient, worthless…” The dark ambers faded, leaving but charred ashes of everlasting pain in Roman’s eyes, his watery gaze fixated on some spot in the distance. “Nothing I did seemed to be the right choice, making you go to the wedding only made you flip out later, going to the callback would’ve made everyone else flip out and ruin your chances…I felt like everything I did was wrong.”

Gone was the wickedness of Deceit’s perceptive leer, replaced with a tender sort of hurt as he took Roman’s hand in his own, holding on tightly. “You never have to feel that way again.” He spoke in a quiet murmur only his lover could hear.

“I never have to feel that way again.” Roman repeated in a booming voice. “And I’ll never let you make me feel it again.”

“Oh, kiddo.” Patton, despite sounding genuinely devastated, made no difference in trying to make Roman stay. “If only I had known- I’m so sorry. I promise it’ll never happen again, just give us another chance.”

“Will you give Deceit a chance in return?” Roman raised his brows more threateningly than questioningly, “Virgil, will you? Logan?”

Silence.

He tightened his grip on Deceit’s gloved hand. “You know what I love about him?” Roman asked, tracing Deceit’s scaled jawline with his thumb. “What I want, he gets. No pointless planning, unnecessary looking over said plans, looking for the solution which would bring _everyone_ the most joy. No. What I want, he gets me, in the fastest, most efficient way.”

Deceit smirked, a twinkle of pride in his mismatched eyes. “Your Creativity is thriving, Thomas, because, for the first time, someone is treating him the way he deserves.”

Roman feigned ignorance. “And which way is that?”

“Like a king.” Deceit purred.

Virgil’s gag broke the tension beginning to build up between them. “I’m literally about to vomit.”

“Yes, I too am feeling excruciating nausea observing this moment very clearly filled with sexual tension completely inappropriate in the presence of Thomas and the rest of us. I agree, Virgil. This should be kept behind closed and, ideally, locked doors.” Logan nodded.

“Roman, are you happy now?” Thomas asked out of the blue and it made Creativity’s expression soften into one of fondness.

“I am, Thomas. I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time.”

“As am I.” Added Deceit, knowing it wouldn’t matter but saying it nonetheless.

“I’m okay with this, guys.” Thomas declared after a moment of consideration, “Not that you need my approval or permission, Ro, but I’m okay with it. As long as you’re happy and safe, so am I.”

Logan was quick to agree. “If you ask me, I’ve always considered this ‘Light Sides’ and ‘Dark Sides’ segregation to be utter- ”

“Bullshit!” Remus screeched.

Logan sighed. “That is not what I was going to say. I wanted to say nonsense. I find our rivalry to be unproductive and quite unnecessary.”

“Well, that’s pretty clear from the gremlin-devil-monkey currently clinging to your shoulders.” Virgil rolled his eyes with the slightest hint of a smile.

“Oh! Hi, Remus!” Thomas exclaimed. “Didn’t even see you there.”

“’Sup, Thomas.” Remus greeted before going back to his previous task of kissing the back of Logan’s neck.

“How can you focus while _that’s_ happening.” Virgil gestured, sticking his tongue out in disgust.

Logan shrugged. “I’m used to it.”

“I’m not sure about this guys.” Patton confessed.

“I assure you it doesn’t bother me.” Logan told him. “He’s surprisingly not heavy.” He bounced Remus up and down a few times for good measure.

“It’s so comfy up here!” Remus confirmed.

“No!” Patton shook his head. “Not that. I meant Roman.”

“Oh.”

“What can I say, Patton,” Deceit drawled, looking at Virgil pointedly, “An eye for an eye.”

“Hey!” Roman protested, “I’m more than just a piece of meat for you to get your revenge with and prove a point!”

“Of course you are.” Deceit smiled the way he only smiled at Roman. “But the other stuff came in handy too.”

“Oh, for sure.” Roman nodded. “I guess it was simply meant to be.”

“Indeed it was, Songbird.” Deceit pecked his cheek, hissing when Virgil gagged again.

“Aww, that’s such a cute nickname!” Patton exclaimed before he could stop himself and his eyes widened in realisation.

Looking from Deceit to Roman to Deceit to Roman to Deceit to Roman to Deceit to Roman until he got dizzy, Patton realised he actually found them cute.

Still, panic and worry tugged on his heart and he had to reconsider. “I just- I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

Roman rolled his eyes. “It’s a little late for that.”

“Your mind is really made up on this?”

Roman didn’t miss a beat. “It is.”

“Then I guess there’s nothing I can do but let you…go.” Patton refused to let the tears fall and with the bitter taste of betrayal and fear came another painful realisation. This was exactly how Deceit must’ve felt when Virgil walked out on him.

Virgil was happier with them, not because the others were evil or bad, but simply because Patton and the Light Sides clicked better with the type of person he was. And just like that, Roman wasn’t leaving because he hated his friends nor because they were, despite hurting him, truly that evil and awful, but simply because the others lifestyle was one he’d be happier living.

“Pat? You look like you just had an epiphany.” Thomas brought him back to reality. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” He nodded. “I’m fine because Logan was right, all this ‘dark’ and ‘light’ stuff is bullshit!”

“That is not what I said!”

Patton continued, “Virgil didn’t leave because the “Dark Sides” were evil! He left because he just liked it here better, it worked better for him. Just like the “dark” works better for Roman! And Virgil doesn’t have trust issues because of some hidden abuse or whatever.   
He has trust issues because he’s Virgil! That’s just how he’s been hardwired to work. He doesn’t trust anyone! And I probably contributed,”   
Patton gave Virgil an apologetic smile,  
“What with my constant shunning of the other and me constantly going off about how bad they were. I probably not only made worse, but caused your mistrust.”

There was a tear subtly wiped away by a yellow-gloved hand when Patton turned and Deceit offered an unreadable look, his lips twisting into something like a smile. “Took you long enough.” But there was no bite in the words, only a teasing sort of fondness and relief.

“I’ll wait in your room.” He added to Roman before sinking out.

“I think I’m gonna go too.” Virgil added, his voice gravelly.

“Virg-…”

“S’fine, Patton. I just need a minute.” And he was gone.

There was a long pause before Patton, after a whispered argument with himself everyone could hear despite his best efforts, turned to Roman, “How about we have movie night at your place this Saturday? If that’s okay with Deceit, of course.”

Roman’s smile was brilliant. “I’m sure he’d love that.” A pause. “I’ll convince him.” Another pause. “I’ll just sit on him so he can’t escape.”

Roman broke away from the kiss despite himself. “I need to ask you something.”

Deceit whined. “Right now?”

“Yes, now, you baby. Patton offered to have movie night here this week.” He said, peppering kisses over the scales scattered across Deceit’s neck.

His eyes fluttering, Deceit sighed out his response, knowing it would lose its sharpness. “Absolutely not.”

“Aw, come on.” Roman pulled himself up, sitting back on Deceit’s thighs. “Please?”

Throwing his head back against the pillow in frustration, Deceit sighed again. His eyes roamed Roman’s face, from his kiss-bitten lips with smeared lipstick, to his eyes, pupils blown and his irises smoldering with polychromatic flames, his expression one of excitement laced with underlying desire as he sat atop Deceit’s thighs, perfectly heavy and just warm enough.

“Fine. I’ll consider it!”

“Yay!” Roman beamed. “Well, now that that’s out of the way…” He leaned back over Deceit’s sprawled out body, licking his lips, “Where were we?”

Deceit felt electricity surge through him as Roman pressed their lips together in one swift deliberate motion.

Somewhere in the back of his head, the part of his mind not yet turned into useless white noise by Roman’s ministrations wondered what he’d done to deserve this.

“I love you.” He whispered when Roman pulled away to breathe.

Roman lifted his head from Deceit’s neck, panting. His eyes were shining. “I love you too.”

A different kind of warmth from the one he’d been feeling up until then blossomed in Deceit’s chest. A contrast to the blazing burn of desire making his blood boil whenever Roman touched him, this was a subtle but persistent thrum beneath his skin, like a blanket wrapping around him, lulling him into a sense of safety and content.

Love.

It was love when Roman kissed him again with less urgency, electricity fading into a ticklish sort of feeling that spread from Deceit’s toes to his neck.

It was love when their clothes were thrown to the ground and Roman skin was so smooth and so deliciously warm against Deceit’s cold chest.

It was love when their eyes met and Deceit could decipher every emotion that came to life in those magnificent ambers.

It was love when Roman could do the same staring into Deceit’s heterochromatic eyes.

It was love when Deceit let him, shattering the masks and dropping the acts.

It was love when their bodies intertwined and Deceit swore he’d never felt so light, so completely satisfied.

It was love when Roman paid attention to every tremor of every muscle in Deceit’s chest, when he studied his expression carefully, so thoughtful and so careful, as if Deceit was a droplet of water in the palm of his delicate hand.

Simply put, it was love.

BONUS:

The Dark Side’s living room was surprisingly comfortable, lit dimly and decorated in dark colors, but comfortable nonetheless.

A serene atmosphere washed over the- oh, come on guys!

“Eeeeek! Remus! Stop taking your clothes of!”

“I thought this was a sleepover!” The Duke complained.

“Yeah! A sleepover, not an orgy!” Virgil protested, hiding his face in Patton’s shoulder.

“You guys are no fun.”

“Your ideas of fun are not universal, Remus!” Virgil shrieked as Remus reluctantly pulled his underwear back on but refused to wear anything else.

Roman took a quick glance at Deceit by his side.

The snake-like side was watching the two with a soft smile and damp eyes, his eyes sparkly with adoration.

Logan pulled Remus into his lap, wrapping his arms around him like a plane seatbelt. “Stop causing havoc or I won’t let you bedazzle my glasses.”

Like a child bribed with candy, Remus made a show of sitting perfectly still in his boyfriend’s lap, his face pulled into a ridiculous expression that one could only guess was meant to be serious.

“Great job, Remus.” Deceit praised. “You don’t look constipated at all.”

“Permission to stick my tongue out at the cold-blooded bitch?”

Logan nodded. “Permission granted.”

“Well, jokes on you!” Roman attempted to defend his lover, “Deceit’s tongue is cooler!”

Grinning, Deceit stuck out his split tongue for a millisecond.

“He bleps!” Patton squealed. “Like a real snakey!”

Deceit blinked.

“Can you do it again?”

Deceit blinked and bleped.

“Aww, that’s so cute! You should’ve just done that when we first met, I would’ve trusted you with the life of my children.” Patton said.

Remus screeched, “Children? What children? Where are you kids, Patton?! Where are your kids?! How are you a dad if you don’t have any kids?!”

Patton paused, took a breath and the shouted. “Shit!”

Virgil groaned. “We’re never gonna watch this movie.”

Switching places with Roman, Deceit tapped Virgil on the shoulder.

“What?”

“I’m- I’m really glad you’re back.” He said, looking at his own hands intertwined in his lap.

It was only when a pale hand, shaking, covered it, that he looked up and he was met with uncertain eyes and a hesitant smile. “Not that I ever thought I’d be back here or that I’d say this, but I’m glad I’m back too.”

And suddenly everything fell into place and Thomas, quietly watching the scene unfold, felt a sense of peace wash over him despite the chaos.

Yes, Remus was insane, Logan was inconvenienced, Patton was distraught, Deceit was emotional, Virgil was conflicted and Roman was love-struck.

But they had one thing in common.

They were happy.

So, for the first time in forever, Thomas was happy too.


End file.
